Our tour starts in Mürren, a gorgeous car-free village perched dramatically atop a cliff overlooking the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains. We then continue on to Zermatt, a hiker's paradise, nestled beneath the incomparable Matterhorn. Finally, the famous Glacier Express train takes on to Pontresina, the scenic and serene jewel of the St. Moritz lakes region. All three areas contain numerous unforgettable hikes and vistas that make this tour grand in every sense! Our luxurious hotels , beautiful locations, and scenic train transfers make this a perfect choice for non-hikers as well.

A typical day starts with a continental buffet breakfast at your hotel - a bounty of delicious fresh baked bread and croissants, local meats and cheeses, cereal, fruit, coffee and juice - which gives us the energy needed for the day ahead. Soon we'll be out on the trail, where you'll get to choose between an easier or more strenuous hike for the day. Each morning, you'll be handed a lunch to carry, and at a mid-point along the way we'll choose a beautiful spot to stop and enjoy our picnic. We get a lot of compliments on our imaginative lunches - making them something to look forward to as well!

We should finish our hike around 4 pm, giving you time to wash up, relax at the hotel, visit the pool and spa, or perhaps do a bit of shopping in town. All of our hotels on this tour have great views and gorgeous pool and spa areas, so we'll look forward to having time each day to enjoy those. Later, we'll enjoy dinner together at our hotel or another local restaurant. These are true multi-course feasts, sometimes centered on local specialties like beef, pork, or local cheese, but they will often feature chicken, fish, or other continental specialties. Our hotels all serve fabulous food, and our gourmet dinners will be exquisite, filling, and very delicious.

Actual hikes vary from trip to trip, but our itinerary will go something like this:

Day 1 The Grand Tour starts with arrival in Zurich and a train ride to Mürren, our home away from home in Switzerland. The trip takes about 5 hours. Mürren is an idyllic, car-free village, perched atop a sheer 3000-foot cliff above the waterfall-filled Lauterbrunnen valley (picture Yosemite with a Swiss village on top). We'll meet to talk about the tour before settling in to our welcome dinner at the elegant 4-star Hotel Eiger. (Hotel Eiger)
Day 2 One of our favorite hikes starts in town, and gently meanders up the hills to the pastoral setting at Spielboden. Here we cross the Schiltbach stream, and start a steep and invigorating ascent to the local peak of Bryndli. We'll take our lunch enjoying birds-eye views of Mürren and the Lauterbrunnen valley, perhaps with a soaring golden eagle for company. From here the trail levels off, and becomes a relaxing stroll through flowery meadows to a quiet alpine hut at Bogangen. The trail back leads over a small ridge for more great views, before dropping back down to Mürren. (Hotel Eiger)
Day 3 A lovely panorama walk leads north out of the village through fields of wildflowers, past quiet farms at Grutschalp, and into hidden Soustal valley. On the return trip, we can hike through fern-filled forests, and up to the beautiful panorama at Allmendhubel, before dropping down to the Blumental ("flower valley"). The mountains are particularly well-framed from this little corner above Mürren. A short, steep descent along the Mürren stream leads us back to town. (Hotel Eiger)
Day 4 The Upper Lauterbrunnen valley curls back beneath the white-capped Breithorn - considered by many to be the most perfect mountain in the region. It's also a nature preserve, and contains many wonderful hiking trails. One of our favorites takes us to the small farm at Obersteinberg, where the proprietors keep cows and make cheese by the same simple methods that have been used for centuries. This part of the valley also contains some of the area's prettiest waterfalls. (Hotel Eiger)
Day 5 After breakfast, we'll say good-bye to Mürren, and board the train for Zermatt. You'll have a chance to check out the historic village center before transferring by historic cogwheel train to Riffelalp. Enjoy wonderful views of the Matterhorn before settling in for dinner at the luxurious and newly-restored 5-star Riffelalp Resort. (Riffelalp Resort)
Day 6 Taking quiet trails through fields and forest, we have a range of choices up to the wide ridge of Gornergrat, past marmots and small glacial lakes, to what has to be one of the finest viewpoints in Europe. The jumbled mass of the Gorner glacier stretches out before us, and behind that, Monte Rosa, Lyskamm, the Breithorn, and the Matterhorn form a spectacular backdrop. (Riffelalp Resort)
Day 7 There are many peaceful trails criss-crossing the larch forests outside of Zermatt. We might take one that leads us to a suspended wooden walkway through a narrow river gorge. After a harrowing walk through the gorge, we emerge and continue on to the enchanting, centuries-old hamlets of Zum See and Zmutt. Perhaps we'll make the strenuous climb to the Schwarzsee lake, or even up to the Hornli hut (a sort of Matterhorn base camp) to enjoy fabulous, close-up views of the Matterhorn and and a sweeping look back at the valley below. (Riffelalp Resort)
Day 8 We'll spend the day crossing Switzerland on the famous Glacier Express train to the mellow and pretty resort town of Pontresina. The hiking here is amazingly varied, and we'll have numerous hikes to choose from. Our home in Pontresina is the friendly and classy Hotel Walther. Enjoy a short walk through the village or relax at the enclosed pool and and extensive hotel spa. (Hotel Walther)
Day 9 In Pontresina, the mighty Morteratsch glacier is an impressive destination. An easy, wooded walk takes us to the snout of the glacier, while a relatively moderate climb to the Boval hut rewards us with panoramic views of white-capped giants in every direction. Soft larch forests and abundant wildflowers help round out a great hike. (Hotel Walther)
Day 10 From Pontresina, one of our favorite hikes anywhere is the panoramic Muragl traverse above Pontresina. Boasting quiet wooded stretches, abundant wildlife, and surprising views of the giant Piz Bernina and the paternoster lakes of St. Moritz, this hike provides a wonderful farewell to the Engadine region. (Hotel Walther)
Day 11 After breakfast at our hotel, we'll say our good-byes and leave for our post-trip destinations.

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Arrive:	Plan to arrive the day your trip starts at the latest (flights from the US would depart the day before). The closest airport for Murren is Zurich. There is a train station at the Zurich airport that will take you to Murren. Because of the many cablecar options in these villages, the Swiss Card rail pass is recommended for this tour.
Depart:	Plan departure for the day after your tour ends at the earliest. The closest airport to Pontresina is also Zurich. Plan on 1 night at a hotel in Zurich or possibly Lucerne at the end of the tour (we can set this up for you if you like).

Dates don't work? Check out our similar Jungfrau + Matterhorn tour.

If you're an independent hiker and prefer to go at your own pace, or have travel dates that don't match up with our guided tours, you may prefer to do the Grand Tour as a self-guided hiking tour. This is a 11-day tour at a price of $3590 per person based on two people sharing a double room, or an 8-day tour to all 3 villages for $2690 per person (3 nights Murren, 2 nights Zermatt, 2 nights Pontresina). This tour can easily be lengthened or shortened to fit your schedule. Suites can be arranged instead of standard rooms, or we can substitute 3-star hotels for a more modest (and affordable) vacation - please ask.

This self-guided tour includes prepaid hotels with breakfast and dinner, a 1st class Swiss railpass for 4 free days of rail travel plus 50% discounts on cablecars, Glacier Express reservations, hiking maps, detailed route descriptions (including longer, shorter, and rainy day options), and lots of useful information that will help your trip run smoothly.

Not included are lunches, drinks with your meals, extras (such as laundry, phone calls from the room, etc), or transportation not covered by your railpass.

In addition, customized guided and self-guided hiking tours are available at surprisingly affordable prices. If you'd like to lengthen or shorten this tour, upgrade hotel rooms (or go rustic), or create a customized tour of the Swiss Alps from scratch, let us know. We have extensive experience in many parts of the Alps, and will be happy to work with you to build the hiking vacation that best suits your needs.

Learn more about custom and self-guided tours